Commonwealth Games: looking ahead to 2010

Oliver Brown looks ahead to the 2010 Commonweath Games taking place in Delhi
in October.

Busy bees: the statue of Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand hovers over workers at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium as construction works goes onPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

By Oliver Brown

7:10PM GMT 26 Dec 2009

Should we be looking out for Jessica Ennis again?

If only. The finest heptathlete ever to come out of Sheffield is considering giving Delhi a miss, as the October timing does not dovetail well with her winter training.

What about that bloke with all the piercings, then?

Phillips Idowu, our world champion triple-jumper should definitely be in Delhi, given that it was in the Commonwealth arena four years ago, in Melbourne, where he took gold, even with a relatively modest jump.

Rebecca Adlington, beloved poster girl of the Beijing Olympics, has already described Delhi as a major milestone in her career. Do not discount Michael Rock, either, the Manchester law student who beat the great Michael Phelps.

The moment you are most looking forward to?

The opening ceremony, if it ever happens. A recent report warned that Delhi was woefully behind schedule.